West Bengal has become centre of anti-national activities under Mamata: Amit Shah

Howrah (West Bengal): Accusing the Trinamool Congress of being involved in the Saradha scam and terror activities, BJP chief Amit Shah on Monday said West Bengal has become a centre of anti-national acts under Mamata Banerjee.

Addressing his first rally a day after being re-elected as the BJP president, Shah raked up the multi-crore- Saradha scam as well as the 2014 blast in Burdwan's Khagragarh and the recent violence in Malda to hit out at Chief Minister Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress.

"While the world knows her as the chief minister of Bengal, those involved in the chit fund know her as a painter and they liked her painting so much that they bought it for crores of rupees.

"Mamata ji thinks people are gullible. But they know why your painting was bought at such a high price. It's your nexus with the chit fund operators," said Shah.

Amit Shah. File photo. PTI

"Bengal, from where industry began, was the hub of the country's economic activities. Now all industries here have closed down except for one. Mamata ji, you have kept alive only the chit fund industry," he said.

"Didi, 17 lakh families want to ask where the money from Saradha and Rose Valley have gone," said Shah, referring to the two scams which ruined thousands of families, mostly from rural areas of Bengal and neighbouring states.

Shah's blistering attack comes just days after union Home Minister and former BJP chief Rajnath Singh lambasted the Banerjee government, saying "none including the police were safe in Bengal".

While Rajnath Singh during his 21 January public rally was silent on the Saradha scam, Shah focused more on the financial issue that saw a huge war of words between the then BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Banerjee during the 2014 Lok Sabha poll campaign.

Referring to the 2 October, 2014, blast in Khagragarh, whose probe led to the busting of a terror module of Bangladeshi militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, and other bomb explosions in the state, Shah wondered why was there a Trinamool link to all such incidents.

"Is this a coincidence that every time there is a blast here, be it Khagragarh, Birbhum or any place, the house or those killed have links to the Trinamool? Is this a coincidence? No. It is actually because your party is involved," said Shah.

"Mamata ji, for the sake of vote-bank politics, you have turned Bengal into a centre of anti-national activities," said Shah, describing Bengal as the gateway of entry of fake Indian currency notes.

Referring to several attacks on police, including the 3 January violence in Malda's Kaliachak where a rampaging crowd attacked a police station and torched several vehicles, Shah claimed the morale of the police force has hit rock bottom.

"Because of your vote-bank politics, the morale of the entire police force in the state has hit rock bottom," said Shah, rubbishing Banerjee's claims that the Malda violence was a struggle between the BSF and the locals.

Stating that the Trinamool government has failed in all aspects, Shah urged people to bring the BJP to power in the state to effect real change.

"Instead of bringing in change, Mamata ji, you have taken Bengal only to the path of decline," said Shah.

Charging the Trinamool government with "rolling out the red carpet for the Bangladeshi infiltrators", Shah said if the BJP came to power, "not a single infiltrator would dare to enter India".

Blaming the Congress, the CPI-M led Left Front and the now ruling Trinamool of taking Bengal to destruction, Shah said only the BJP can usher in development as it pursued politics of development and nationality instead of indulging in vote-bank appeasement.